Life
How to Steer Your Life in the Right Direction and Define Your Life’s Purpose
Do you know that Colonel Harland David Sanders was 65 when he founded Kentucky Fried Chicken, better known in its abbreviated form, KFC? Most of us know Col. Sanders for starting KFC, which is now a big name in the fast-food industry. However, 65 is not the age when people usually find the purpose of life. But again, is there any time limit for finding the purpose of your life? Well, I don’t think so.
Life does not come with a user guide, and there’s certainly no David Attenborough to do meta-commentary on your life to give a hint of what lies ahead. But it does not mean you should wander around aimlessly like a leaf in the wind. You need to understand – “Life does not give us purpose. We give life purpose.” I cannot believe I’m quoting a line from a comic book.
The problem with most of us is that we do not think about having a purpose in life. We do things as we feel important, and that is how we continue our lives. Even a lot of us who are employed and attend work every day may not have any defined purpose in life. And as Thomas Carlyle said it, “A man without a goal is a ship without a rudder.”
In this article, I’ll try to help you define your purpose in life, so that you can steer your life in the right way:
1. Identifying The Purpose In Life
The path to finding your purpose in life begins with the realization that you were created to solve a problem. Once you figure that out, finding your life’s purpose is going to be a lot easier. But in order to identify what problems you need to solve in life, you need to get over the fear of facing a problem.
You see, problems are just opportunities that haven’t presented themselves. Every famous inventor you know has faced some problems in their lives, which pushed them to invent things that would solve a problem.
When Henry Ford mass-produced the automobile, he solved the transportation problem. Similarly, when a company sells a product or service to a customer, they solve one or more problems of the customer.
If you look closely, you will find that problems aren’t necessarily bad. In fact, they provide you with the opportunity to tap your creative potential. However, you need to identify which problems you are here to solve.
“It’s not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something.” – Winston S. Churchill
2. How To Identify The Problems You Are Here To Solve?
The problem with defining life’s purpose is that nobody can tell you what your life’s purpose should be. You need to figure it out yourself. To figure out what your purpose should be, ask yourself a few questions.
- What do you enjoy doing that you would happily do even without pay?
- What excites you the most?
- What do you love? Or what’s your passion?
- Are you comfortable with what you are becoming as you grow?
- Are you satisfied with the way your life is proceeding? Or does something seem to be missing? What is it that you think is missing?
When you are able to answer these questions, you will have a clear vision of what your life’s purpose is. Now, you need to live and work on that purpose.
3. How To Approach Life When You Know What Your Purpose Is
It’s unfortunate that most people live their lives without a purpose. They are just like sheep, getting in line and doing what others are doing. Their moves are predictable, and they are too afraid to take risks. That’s something you should not aspire to be. Once you figure out what your purpose is, stay conscious of the meaning of things you do. If you don’t know why you are doing something, perhaps you are off purpose.
If you tend to go off purpose quite often, write it down somewhere and use it to remind yourself why you are working on a certain thing. While reading the description of your purpose, take some time to reflect on the reason behind your actions. In addition, limit yourself to a certain extent. You cannot be everywhere and do everything. Instead of having loads of purposes, choose a few and work on them. Focus is the key here.
As mentioned, there’s no formula or proven theory that can help you find purpose in life. At times, you get an epiphany and realize what you need to do in life at an early age. At other times, it takes ages to figure out your purpose in life, as it happened for Col. Sanders. So, believe in yourself, and try to figure out the purpose of life on your own. And remember, it’s never too late to start over.
“Musicians must make music, artists must paint, poets must write if they are ultimately to be at peace with themselves. What humans can be, they must be.” – Abraham Maslow